The Goliath Chronicles: Redemption
by The Big Lazy Dragon
Summary: Her rescue by Elisa's one-time partner causes Demona to rethink her dislike of humans. Immediately follows 'Angels of the Night'.
1. Part One

Redemption

Part One

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other original characters are the property of Donald E. Fleming II. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.

_Note: _This story takes place immediately following the season finale of 'Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles' (Angels In The Night).

Manhattan 

Demona sailed through the air, heading for the castle. _I have to know if she's all right,_ she thought. When she'd heard what happened to the clan, she had to make sure Angela was all right. _I don't care if Xanatos tries to shoot me out of the sky, _she thought. _I have to know..._

When she arrived at Nightstone that morning, she was assailed by news that Goliath and the rest of the clan had been destroyed in an explosion that had leveled the Castaway Corporation building that was going up only a few blocks away. She'd gone numb at the news and her office staff had worried that something was wrong with her. _No, nothing's wrong,_ she thought. _My daughter may be dead is all._

She'd cancelled all her morning appointments and sequestered herself in her office, her eyes riveted to the television as WVRN reporter Travis Marshall covered the disaster. Only when she saw Angela and Bronx being loaded into the back of a police van did she relax a bit. Then she started making phone calls.

The police department was keeping a tight lid on Angela and Bronx's condition, she discovered. They weren't releasing any information to anyone, even her. She tried calling the D.A.'s office, but they refused to even put her through. And Xanatos…

Xanatos had flatly refused to even talk to her, even when she wished to offer her condolences. She could tell he was up to something, but what?

Then she did something she never would have thought she'd ever do, she called Elisa's apartment. She got her answering machine and left a brief message. _She'll probably delete it when she finds out it's from me, _she thought, but she needed to talk to someone. She had to find out about Angela.

After night fell over the city, she made the decision to head to the castle. _Xanatos is going to talk to me about what he knows, _she thought. _Even if I have to remove his spleen to convince him._

She never made it to the castle. As she passed over the rubble that marked the spot where the clan had fallen, she was attacked by the Quarrymen. Three of them came tearing out of the sky, shooting at her.

"I thought we got rid of all of them," she heard one of them shout.

"Maybe the one they captured got away," another said.

"Nah, I recognize her," the third said. "It's the mother of the one they caught. Take her, Castaway wants to deal with her personally."

Demona tried to evade them while still trying to reach the castle. _If I'm lucky, _she thought. _Xanatos' defenses will take care of them for…_

A lucky shot dashed her hopes as it smashed through her left wing joint and exited through her shoulder, spraying blood. She cried out in pain as she tumbled from the sky.

"Got her!" the lead Quarryman said.

"Nice shot," one of his partners said. "Let's get down there and finish her off."

Demona slammed into the roof of a car and tumbled off, coming to a rest in the middle of the street. She tried to get up as the three Quarrymen landed around her.

"Not so tough now, are ya, monster," she heard one of them sneer as he charged up his hammer. She snarled at him.

"Filthy human," she growled, trying to block out the pain she was in. She had broken her arm in the fall and her left wing hung limply from what was left of the joint. It would eventually heal, but she needed time for that, time the Quarrymen surrounding her were not going to give her.

She tried to get up, but one of the Quarrymen kicked her in the stomach, driving her back to the ground.

"You ain't going anywhere," the lead Quarryman said. As she tried to rise again, he brought the hammer down on her back.

Demona screamed in pain before collapsing, her legs no longer willing to support her. _I'm paralyzed,_ she thought in horror as her legs and lower body went numb. She tried to breathe, but the pain was too much and she began to black out.

_I'm sorry, Angela,_ she thought remorsefully as she lost consciousness.

The Quarrymen looked at the fallen body of Demona. One of them nudged her with the toe of his boot. "I think she's had it," he said.

"Nah, she's still breathin'," the other one said. "Think Castaway'll mind if we do her ourselves?"

"Wouldn't hurt to ask him," the leader said. He took out a cell phone and dialed a number. He listened and waited for an answer but never got one.

"No answer," he said. "He might be out of range."

"So what do we do?"

"What else?" he said. "We're Quarrymen, ain't we?" He charged the hammer and brought it up.

"Hey," they heard a voice say. They turned to see a dark-haired man step out of a Jeep.

"What do you want?" the lead Quarryman said.

The newcomer took a baseball bat out from behind the seat. "Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

He smiled behind his hood. _Someone else wanting to join up,_ he thought. _Castaway will be pleased._ "Sure, why not?" he said. He turned his attention back to Demona.

Something hard hit him across the back. He staggered as he tried to turn around and just managed to before the newcomer hit him in the stomach with the bat and then brought it up under his chin, knocking him unconscious.

One of the two remaining Quarrymen was so stunned that he didn't even try to defend himself. He quickly joined his friend on the pavement.

The third brought his hammer around, trying to nail the attacker. He blocked the blow with the bat and pivoted, wrenching the hammer out of the Quarryman's hands. It clattered to the street.

"Say goodnight, Gracie," the newcomer said. The Quarryman looked at him in shock as he drove his fist into the Quarryman's face. All three Quarrymen were down.

The mysterious Samaritan went over to Demona's side and touched her gently. "They sure did a number on you, didn't they?" he said. When she didn't respond, he felt for a pulse. "At least you're still alive," he said. "Let's see if we can keep you that way." He gently picked her up and carried her to the Jeep, laying her carefully in the back. Retrieving his bat, he tossed it on the floor of the vehicle and drove off, leaving the unconscious Quarrymen behind.

Demona became aware of someone's hands touching her. She slowly opened her eyes and gasped in horror when she saw the human bending over her. She tried to scramble away, but her body cried out in pain as she did.

"Easy now," he said, seeing the terror in her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help."

Demona tried to fight the pain. She managed to back up, but gasped as her shattered wing joint hit the roll bar of the Jeep.

"Take it easy," he said. "I just finished setting your arm. If you keep knocking it around like that, it won't heal right."

Demona raised her broken arm and saw the improvised splint. "Why…?" she asked.

"Like I said, I just want to help. If I didn't, I would have left you with those three bastards in the hoods."

"The Quarrymen," she said.

"Yeah, I heard that's what they call themselves," he said in disdain. "But they're still pond scum in my book." He moved forward and Demona noted that he had an open first aid kit beside him. He pulled out a sling and moved to put it around her neck. She flinched at his touch.

"This would go a lot easier if you'd just let me help you," he said.

Demona wasn't about to let this _human _anywhere near her, but then she looked at her splinted arm again. _He didn't have to help her,_ she thought. _He could have left her at the mercy of the Quarrymen, who were nowhere in sight._ She looked around and saw that they were sitting in a parking garage. She looked back at him and saw that he still held the sling. He hadn't made any attempt to get closer to her in order to put it on. Using her good arm, she painfully pushed herself up into a sitting position and leaned slightly forward. He carefully draped the sling around her neck and then gently set her broken arm in it.

"How does that feel?" he asked, concerned.

"Like hell," she said, hissing in pain as she settled back down.

"Well, you look it," he said. He reached into a bag and pulled out a bottle of apple juice. "Here," he said, opening it. "You'd better drink this."

Demona hesitated as he handed it to her. "Why?" she asked.

"You lost a lot of blood from that wound," he said. She felt the area where the bullet had exited and found a thick pad covering the wound. "You need to replace the fluids you lost and this is all I've got." He paused as he noted her hesitation. "Unless your kind can't drink…"

Demona took the bottle and sniffed it. _It seems safe enough, _she thought. She took a small drink and then, not detecting anything nasty in it, took another longer drink.

"Easy," he said. "Not so much at once. You don't want to hurt yourself anymore than you already are."

Demona paused and handed the bottle back to him. She noted that he took a drink as well. _Probably to put my mind at ease, _she thought. After he set the bottle down, he went back into the first aid kit and pulled out several bandages and pads and then started dressing her other injuries. When he was finished, he put the first aid kit away and looked around.

"Is there someplace safe I can take you?" he asked. "I doubt I can leave you here." He looked at his watch. "It'll be sunrise soon."

"There...is a place," she said. "Close by, I hope." She started to get up.

"Whoa, where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I can make it there on my own," she said. "I don't need any help…" She stopped when she realized her legs weren't moving. She reached down and tried to move them.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Can't move your legs?"

"No," she admitted, but only after looking at him and seeing the concern on his face.

He rested his hand on her leg. "You can't feel that?"

She looked at the hand. "No," she said.

He got up and moved behind her. Examining her back, he found an ugly bruise halfway up. He touched the upper portion of the injury. "How about that?"

She hissed in pain as he gently probed the bruise.

"I guess that means yes," he said. Then he moved his hand lower until he was touching her just above the belt. "How about there?" he asked. "Feel anything?"

She knew he was touching her, but she couldn't feel it. "No," she said reluctantly.

He drew his hand away. "Well, that settles that," he said. "I've got to get you to a hospital…"

"No!" Demona protested.

"Listen, ah…" He paused when he realized he didn't know her name.

"Demona," she said.

"Demona," he continued. "Look, you've got what could be a severe spinal injury. It needs to be looked at. I know a doctor…"

"No," she repeated. "I don't need a doctor. I'll be fine in a few days."

"The stone sleep?" he asked. When she looked at him, he continued. "I heard that your people go into hibernation during the day and that it heals injuries, but I didn't know…"

"It can," she said, deciding not to tell him she no longer underwent the stone sleep. "I've been hurt far worse than this before and I've always been better after a couple of days."

"I still think…"

"Listen, human," Demona said. "You said you wanted to help me. Then do so or leave me here and I'll fend for myself."

He wasn't about to leave her alone, not when she might be found by the Quarrymen again. Turning, he pulled a blanket out of a compartment and covered her with it before getting into the driver's seat. "Just tell me where to go," he said as he started the engine.

After they left the parking garage, Demona had him drive around for an hour before directing him to a nondescript warehouse by the docks. _He'll never find his way back here, _she thought. _I hope. _When they got there, she had him drive up to an elevated keypad next to a freight door.

"I can't reach it," she said after trying get to the keypad. She looked at him. _I can always change it later after he leaves, _she thought. "Punch in 8-3-6-4, then hit the 'Star' key and then 'Enter'."

He did, and the freight door rolled up. He drove inside and stopped the Jeep as the door rolled down again.

"Where are we?" he asked as he got out of the Jeep.

"Just one of the places I like to call home," Demona said. "I'll be fine now." As he opened the tailgate, she started dragging herself towards it. "Thank you for your help," she said. "But I can manage…"

She started when he slipped one arm under her legs and began to put his other arm behind her. She tried to pull away.

"Demona, I brought you this far," he said. "The least I can do is tuck you in for the day."

"I don't need…" she started, but then sighed heavily. _He's not going to leave until he knows I'm all right, _she realized. "Very well," she said. She put her arm around his neck and let him pick her up in his arms. "There's a sofa in the office," she said. "You can leave me there."

He carried her to the office and set her down carefully, helping her lay down in a manner that would avoid putting too much pressure on the ruined wing joint. He left for a moment and came back with the blanket and the bottle of apple juice.

"Will you be all right here?" he asked as he covered her with the blanket. When he was satisfied, he handed her the bottle.

"Yes," she said. "No one comes here during the day. I'll be fine. You may go."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I can stay…"

"No," she said. "Please, I'd prefer it if you would just leave."

"Okay," he said. He turned and left the office. A moment later, Demona heard the Jeep start and leave the warehouse. She brought the bottle to her lips and took a drink as she waited for the change to occur. When the pain of the transformation hit, she drifted into unconsciousness, realizing then that she didn't even ask him his name.

_23rd Precinct_

Elisa was all smiles when she arrived at the 23rd Precinct. _The guys are finally safe, _she thought. With Castaway finally locked away, for good this time, the threat of the Quarrymen was finally over. There were still a few that needed to be hunted down, but at least the gargoyles didn't have to worry about them anymore.

"Hey, partner," Matt Bluestone said as she sat at her desk. She gave in to the urge to sit back and put her feet up on her desk. "I see you're in a good mood."

"Couldn't be better," she said.

"Wanna bet," he said. He smiled as he tossed a report on her desk. She put her feet down and picked it up.

"What's this?" she asked.

"We picked up three more Quarrymen early this morning," he said. "Someone beat the living daylights out of them and just left their sorry butts in the street."

"Any idea why?" Elisa asked. _Like I honestly care why anyone would want to beat up Quarrymen,_ she thought. _Whoever it was, they just did us a favor._

"Witnesses say they were assaulting a gargoyle in the street when someone in a Jeep drove up and worked them over with a baseball bat," he said. "Right now, they're at Manhattan General under heavy guard."

"What happened to the gargoyle?" Elisa asked, concerned. She skimmed over the report, looking for a description. She didn't find one. _Could it have been Demona? _she wondered.

"Don't know," Matt said. "Whoever it was that rescued the gargoyle drove off with her in his Jeep."

"No ID on our Good Samaritan?" she asked.

"I've got someone down at DMV running down the plates," he said. As he got up to get a cup of coffee, his phone rang. "Bluestone," he said, answering the phone. "Hi, Doug. What have you got?" He picked up a pen and began taking notes on a pad of paper. "Thanks a lot. I owe you one." Matt then hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Elisa asked.

"Got a name to match the plates," he said. "Mitchell Kreager."

"Mitch?" Elisa said, shocked. It seemed to be contagious, because several other cops in the room looked up in surprise.

"You know him?" Matt asked.

Elisa grabbed the pad and looked at the address, committing it to memory. "Yeah," she said. "He used to be my partner."

Demona slept through the day, letting her body heal itself, and it wasn't until nightfall that she woke up again. After the pain of her transformation passed, she decided to get up, realizing that she had to abandon this site since the human knew she was here.

She got off the couch and took a few uneasy steps towards the door. She started to collapse and just managed to avoid landing on her splinted arm as her knees gave out. _It looks like I still have some healing to do, _she thought. _But not here. Not where a human knows…_

As if in response to her thought, the door opened and her rescuer came in. He saw her on the floor and dropped what he was carrying, then rushed to her side.

"You shouldn't be up," he said as he put his arm around her. He helped her to her feet and led her back to the couch. After he eased her back down, he knelt down in front of her. "How are you feeling?"

"Lousy," she said. She wanted to push him away; she hated being this close to a human, but the look of real concern in his eyes caused a stirring in her soul.

He reached out and gently touched her arm. He gingerly lifted it out of the sling. "How does that feel?" he asked.

Demona hissed at the dull throbbing pain in her arm. It would continue to hurt for several days longer; simple cuts and bruises healed almost immediately, but major injuries, such as broken bones, took days to heal.

"It hurts," she said.

"Maybe I should take you to a doctor and have that…" he started, but she snapped at him.

"No," she said. "I don't need any _humans' _help! I can manage on my own!"

"You sure?" he asked, still concerned. "It didn't look that way to me a minute ago."

She looked at him. "I'm fine," she said calmly. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just I doubt that any human would be willing to help me after what happened yesterday."

"I guess you haven't heard then," he said. He got up and walked over to the items he had dropped.

"Heard what?" she asked.

He picked up the newspaper and passed it to her. Her eyes went wide as she read the headline.

"**Gargoyles Save Train Passengers, Assistant D.A. From Disaster. Attacking Quarrymen, John Castaway Taken into Custody."** She looked at him. "Is this true?" she asked.

"I guess you really do sleep like a rock," he said. "It's been all over the airwaves today. Talk shows have been swamped with callers wanting to talk about the gargoyles." He looked around. "Have you got a TV or a radio in here somewhere?"

"Yes," she said as she continued to read the story. "There's a small portable television in that cabinet."

He went to the cabinet and found the TV. He brought it over and placed it on the table, then plugged it in and turned it on.

"This is Travis Marshall, coming to you from Thompson Gorge where, in the pre-dawn hours this morning, a group of gargoyles narrowly averted disaster by stopping the red-eye commuter to Albany after a bomb, believed to have been planted by the Quarrymen, destroyed the bridge. The gargoyles saved the lives of not only two of their own, who were being transported to a detention facility upstate, but also those of every man, woman and child on the train, including Assistant District Attorney Margot Yale and 23rd Precinct Detective Elisa Maza, who was in charge of the transfer. Tonight, police investigators are re-examining the site of the Castaway Corporation bombing in light of new evidence that suggests that John Castaway himself may have planted the device that destroyed the building as part of a plan to exterminate the gargoyles. A recording device was discovered early this morning that suggests that the gargoyles may have been lured there after Goliath, the leader of the gargoyles, told authorities that he and his clan heard what appeared to be a child trapped in the basement of the construction site."

_Goliath and the others are alive? _she thought. She couldn't believe it. And she couldn't believe she was overjoyed by the news. _But how…_ She wondered if Xanatos had had a hand in their 'miraculous' return from the dead.

"In a press conference this morning," Travis Marshall continued. "Ms. Yale stated that, in light of this new evidence and the gargoyles' bravery in averting a major disaster, all charges against the gargoyles have been dropped."

The picture cut away and was replaced by a replay of a press conference at City Hall. Demona watched in rapt fascination as one of the city's most anti-gargoyle public figures expressed her thanks and apologized wholeheartedly to Goliath's clan, who of course were in their stone sleep back at the Eyrie Building and couldn't attend. _They're probably watching this right now, _she thought. As Travis Marshall came on again with one of the engineers of the train, Demona stood up and took a step towards the television. Her 'rescuer' got up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Can you…turn off the television?" she asked. He did as she sat back down and then looked back at her in concern.

"I thought you'd be happy," he said. "The Quarrymen finally got what was coming to them."

"I…I am," Demona said. "It's just…" She paused and looked up at him. "It's so overwhelming." She pulled her eyes away. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while. I need time to process this."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You look like you could use some company right about now."

"I'll be fine," Demona said. "I just need some time alone is all."

"Well, if you need anything," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a card, which he set on the table. "You'll give me a call?"

She looked at him. "I…I'll think about it," she said.

He turned and left, stopping briefly to retrieve one of the things he had dropped. _A sketchpad, _she noted. After he left, Demona stood up and crossed to the table, picking up the card. _Mitchell Kreager, _she read. She considered throwing the card away, but set it back down instead. _The way I'm feeling, I may just need someone to talk to, _she thought. _Even if he is a human. _She turned hesitantly back towards the sofa. She still needed time to recover from her encounter with the Quarrymen. As she did, her eyes caught sight of something on the floor.

A sheet of paper stuck out from underneath the sofa. Demona bent down to pick it up and her eyes misted as she saw what was on it.

It was a beautiful charcoal rendering of Angela in flight, her arms spread out in a look of pure enjoyment.

She quickly put the sketch on the table to keep her tears from ruining the artwork.

_23rd Precinct_

"So what's the deal with this Mitch Kreager?" Matt asked as he followed Elisa to her car. "How come I've never seen him around?"

"It's a long story," Elisa said. "It's not something I like to talk about."

"What?" Matt asked. "Did he do something to you?"

Elisa stopped as she opened the driver's side door of the Fairlane. "Not really," she said. "He only saved my life. And it almost ended up costing him his."

"What happened?" Matt asked as he got in.

Elisa hesitated before getting in and starting the car. "It was about six years ago," she said. "I was a rookie, fresh out of the Academy. Mitch was the first partner I ever had. I know he hated pulling 'Rookie Detail', but one thing that worked in my favor was that Mitch was an old friend and he was partnered with my Dad when he was still a rookie." She paused as she looked at Matt. "We were partners for about six months, but Mitch had been a friend since high school, although we never dated. One night we responded to a call that changed everything..."

October 10, 1990 

"Are you sure about this?" Mitch asked as he pulled his weapon.

"I'm certain I heard something," Elisa said. "I think it was over this way."

Mitch sighed as Elisa took the lead through the darkened warehouse. _Save me from rookies, _he thought as he followed after her. "Elisa, at least wait until back-up gets here."

Elisa turned to look at him. "What, for a simple break-in? Do you really think it's necessary?"

"Yes, I do," Mitch said. "Besides, I'm supposed to be the superior officer here. It'd be nice if you remembered that for once."

"Fine," Elisa said. She paused as she heard him come up behind her. "But c'mon, Mitch. This is just a simple break-in. Do we really need to wait..."

The sound of footsteps made them stop in their tracks. Mitch looked around quickly, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Elisa drew back the hammer of her service revolver. The sound of the footsteps stopped.

"Mice?" he asked.

Something large was knocked over, the sound of it hitting the floor making them both jump.

"Damned big mice," Elisa said. Her eyes began darting back and forth, trying to penetrate the gloom of the warehouse. "I think it came from over here," she said.

"I said we should wait for back-up," Mitch reminded her.

"C'mon, Mitch" she said. "Anyone making that much noise is just begging to be caught."

"Or trying to draw us into an ambush," Mitch countered.

"You're just being paranoid," Elisa said. "I swear, ever since..."

Elisa never finished that sentence, because as she turned to look at him, she saw a bright red dot shimmering on his chest just over his heart. She jumped at him, shoving him aside even as the crack of the weapon registered in her ears and she felt a sudden searing pain explode across her body as she felt the bullet slam into her back.

"Elisa!" Mitch called out as he caught her in his arms. He quickly lowered her to the floor as he felt her blood in his hands. "Ah, crap!" he cursed as he keyed his radio. "Officer down!" he barked. "I repeat, officer down! This is unit..."

He stopped as he looked up and saw a figure moving by a window, carrying what looked to be a rifle. He ducked down slightly, staying by Elisa's side, as he watched the figure pause right in front of the window.

"Boy, are you stupid," Mitch muttered as he drew his revolver and took aim. As the figure turned in his direction and brought up the rifle, he fired off three shots, causing the shooter to jerk back as the bullets hit and he fell, disappearing from sight.

"Well, that takes care of that," he said. Holstering his gun, he turned his attention back to Elisa. "Hang on, partner," he said. "Help's on the way."

Elisa opened her eyes and looked up at him, trying to focus on him. "Did you get him?"

"Yeah," he said. "I got him."

Elisa coughed and Mitch could see a trace of blood on her lips. "Just keep still," he said. "You've been shot."

"I kinda figured that out for myself," she moaned. "I guess you were right," she added.

"What?" he asked.

"We should've waited for back-up," she said as she lost consciousness.

Present day 

"I don't remember much about the rest of that night," Elisa said. "I was hit bad. The bullet that hit me went through my right lung and exited through my chest." She paused as she looked at Matt. "It was the first time I'd ever been shot," she said. "And it scared the hell out of me. If it hadn't been for Mitch..."

"Sounds to me like you saved his life," Matt said. "I thought you said he saved yours."

"He did," Elisa said. "But that was a few months later, after I got out of the hospital."

"What was the deal with the shooter?" Matt asked. "I'm guessing that an investigation was conducted after the body was sent to the morgue."

Elisa looked over at him. "There...wasn't a body," she said.

"What?" Matt gasped. "What did Mitch shoot at, a ghost?"

"No," Elisa said. "The guy was real enough. Dad and Morgan found the spot where he'd gone down. He'd crushed a bunch of boxes when he fell. We found out later that he was wearing body armor. Of course, that was after something terrible happened to Mitch."

"What?" Matt asked.

"He...lost his wife." Elisa sighed, then pulled the Fairlane over to the side of the street. "You should have seen Caroline," she said. "She had to have been the prettiest girl in our graduating class in high school. Of course, Mitch fell in love with her the day they met, and somehow, he ended up winning her heart. Three days after graduation, they eloped. I remember Dad coming home one night with a big smile on his face. He and his partner had responded to a report of a prowler breaking into the second story of a house, and when they got there..."

"Your dad found Mitch and his girlfriend coming down the ladder they were using to sneak out of the house," Matt finished.

"Well, not exactly," Elisa quipped. "Believe it or not, Caroline's dad was at the top, holding the ladder steady so they wouldn't get hurt. He managed to smooth things over with my dad while Mitch and Caroline made their getaway." She looked at her partner. "Have I told you this story before?" she asked.

"No," he said. "But it sounds vaguely familiar. Of course, the part of the dad helping the two young lovers make their escape is an interesting twist."

"I think he just wanted to save himself the expense of having to pay for the wedding," Elisa said. "But anyway, they got married and they were happy together. And Caroline loved being a cop's wife. I know that it's a total departure from the norm, with the wife at home, always worrying that one day she's going to get the call that all cops' wives dread. My mom's like that, especially considering that both my dad and I are cops, but Caroline wasn't. She'd convinced herself that nothing was ever going to happen to Mitch, not while she was alive."

Elisa paused, letting her head sag on the steering wheel. "While I was recovering in the hospital, she was killed in a convenience store robbery. Mitch had dropped her off to get something nice for me to brighten up the hospital room, and..." She looked over at Matt. "The guy who killed her was the same thug who shot me. The bullet they...recovered...from her body was an exact match. A nine mil, armor piercing round."

"Armor piercing?" Matt gasped. "You mean..."

"Yep," Elisa said. "The guy in the warehouse wasn't there for the loot. He was stalking cops." She paused again, letting out a long sigh. "A few weeks after Caroline's funeral, I was released from the hospital, and Mitch and I ended up being partnered again. He seemed different, though. It was as if the life had gone out of him. I guess I couldn't blame him, after losing Caroline like that. But I should have noticed the change in his attitude and brought it to someone's attention. It might have helped to prevent what happened next."

"We responded to another warehouse break-in," she said. "Because that guy was still out there, gunning for cops, we were wearing vests, just in case we ran into him again. We got to the warehouse, and I radioed for back-up, but Mitch wasn't about to wait. He went inside and I went in after him. I lost sight of him in the darkness and I was just about to call out to him when I felt him barrel into me, knocking me down, and I heard a gun go off."

"The shooter's," Matt said.

"Yeah," Elisa said. "I guess he wanted to finish what he'd started." She paused. "Mitch took the hit, and the bullet went right through his vest. It didn't even slow it down. In the confusion, I lost my gun, so I grabbed Mitch's and fired. I knew that the guy was wearing body armor, but I had to do something. So I opened up on him when I caught a glimpse of him."

"What happened then?" Matt asked.

"I got him," Elisa said. "And this time, he stayed down."

"But if he was wearing body armor," Matt said. "Then how..." He paused when he caught the look in Elisa's eyes. "Aw, jeez," he said in realization.

"Yeah," Elisa said in resignation. "Mitch loaded his gun with the same style bullets that the shooter was using. Armor piercing. The press had a field day with it."

"But you'd think that they'd realize that after losing his wife..." Matt started.

"They didn't care," Elisa said. "All the press cared about was that two cops went 'Dirty Harry' on the guy. They didn't even care that Mitch almost ended up permanently paralyzed from the shooting. In the end, he took all the heat for what happened. He didn't want to see me end up blowing my career over the shooting and he turned in his badge to protect me."

"Sounds like it was pretty rough," Matt said.

"It was," Elisa said. "I mean, I hated seeing Mitch go through what he did. The press crucified him, calling him a killer cop and other things I'm not even going to give them the pleasure of repeating. But Mitch was a good cop, no matter what anyone else says. He's the one who initially pushed me to make detective, saying that I had the instinct for it..." She sighed heavily, sagging back against the seat. "He was a good friend."

"I kinda got that impression," Matt said. He took the note with Mitch's address out of his pocket. "So, you want to..."

Elisa looked at the slip of paper in his fingers. They _were _supposed to bring him in for questioning. He did assault three Quarrymen after all, and Elisa knew that he would end up facing criminal charges because of it, even if he was trying to protect a gargoyle. She looked at the slip in Matt's hand.

"Do I want to what?" she asked.

Matt crumbled up the note and stuffed it in his pocket. "Nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."

A week later... 

Demona landed on the roof, pausing for a minute as she took a step towards the fire escape. It had been a week since Mitch rescued her from the Quarrymen, and during that time, she found she was growing fond of the human who had saved her. _Which was odd, _she thought, _since generally I can't stand the wretched beings. _But Mitch had touched a part of her soul that she had long since forgotten even existed, and she felt she had to pay him back for his kindness.

Which was why she was here now. Several nights earlier, she had spotted Mitch sitting alone on this very rooftop with his sketchpad in his lap, quietly drawing under the light of the full moon. Curious as to what he was doing, she had dropped in on him.

He had started at the sound of her landing on the roof, but when he looked up and saw who it was, he relaxed and smiled at her.

"Hello," he said. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"I was in the area," Demona returned. She walked over to him and looked down at the sketchpad. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"Just something that's been nagging at me for a couple of days," he said, returning his attention to the pad.

"May I see?" she asked politely.

Mitch hesitated for a moment, as if he were suddenly nervous. But after a moment, he passed the pad over to her. "They're not very good, mind you..." he started.

Demona took the pad and took a quick glance at the sketch he had been working on. "Why would you say that..." she started before she realized what he was drawing. Her eyes went wide.

"It's me!" she said in amazement.

Mitch had drawn several sketches of her throughout the pad, each one slightly different from the next, different poses, different angles, as if he were doing a study of her. As she went through the pad page by page, she looked over at him. "Have you been following me?"

"No," he said.

"Then how..."

"I don't have that good of a memory," he said, tapping the side of his head with his pencil. "I just wanted to do a few sketches of you before I forgot what you looked like."

Demona looked at the sketches again. "You did these from memory?"

"Like I said, they're not very good. After a while, faces tend to blur out for me, so I try to sketch them out while I can still see them in my mind." For a second, he seemed really nervous. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," she said, handing him the pad. "Although, I'm surprised you would think me worth the effort."

"Why wouldn't you be?" he said. "I mean, it's not everyday an artist like myself stumbles upon someone as gorgeous as you."

That surprised her, and it had taken her a minute to realize what he had said. "You can't be serious," she said.

"Of course, I am," he said. "I really do think you're beautiful." He stood up and put down the sketchpad.

Demona took a step back, unsure of his intentions. "But...I'm..." she stammered.

"You're a gargoyle," he said. "So what? It doesn't mean we can't be friends, does it?"

She looked at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. _He really does care, doesn't he, _she thought. _After all this time, I've actually found a human who truly does care about me._ "I guess not," she said. She smiled at him and found him returning the gesture.

That had been two nights ago, and in that time, she had decided to take him up on his subsequent offer to do a full rendering of herself. _If he could do what he did from memory, imagine what he could accomplish with me posing for him. _Of course, she did wonder at what he might ask her to do._ I know that some models pose nude for their artists. Will he ask me to do the same?_ A part of her said that in no uncertain terms was she going to pose nude for him. She trusted him, yes, but not that much. Still, another part of her was intrigued by the notion. _I might try it once, _she thought. _ Just to see what it was like. After all, it's not as if he'd be able to take advantage of me. I'm a gargoyle. He's only a human. I seriously doubt he'd be able to force me to do something I did not want to do. _She crossed the rooftop to the fire escape and started down, setting the internal debate on hold as she headed for his apartment window.

She found the window open. Screwing up her courage, she peeked inside. "Mitch, are you here?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'll be out in a minute," she heard him say. "Have a seat."

Stepping inside, she paused by the window and waited until he came out of the kitchen. "Evening," he said.

"Good evening," Demona returned. "I hope I didn't interrupt your dinner."

"Nah, I was just finishing up the dishes," he said. He paused as he looked at her. "I guess you're here about the rendering."

"Yes," Demona said. "I've decided to take you up on your offer." She crossed the apartment and paused by a chair. "So, do you want me to sit here, or..."

"I've got something better in mind," he said, turning towards the bedroom. He disappeared inside and came out a few moments later carry a bearskin rug, which he laid on the floor. "I was thinking of going with a primal look," he said. "It seemed the natural way to go."

Demona stepped over to the rug and looked at it.

"Unless you'd rather go for something else..." he started.

"No, this is fine," she said with a bit of a smile. _It did seem natural, _she thought. _And a little thrilling on top of that. _She sat down on the rug and let her arms fall to her sides. "Like this?" she asked.

Mitch picked up his pad and sat down on a chair. "No," he said after a moment. "Let's try having you lay on your side."

Demona complied and laid down on her left side, propping herself up on her elbow.

"No, try extending that arm out," he said.

She then lay down on her side completely and extended her left arm, so that it was past her head. "Is this okay?" she asked, looking at him.

"Just about," he said. "Let's try putting your other arm across your chest and bring your right leg up some. And can you bring the wing up just a little. "

Demona moved her arm and leg as instructed, then paused as she considered the position she was in. _Very sultry, _she couldn't help thinking. _And more than a little erotic. _She thought about her earlier debate, if she would pose nude for him if he asked her to. _He hasn't as yet, _she reminded herself. _It may be that he doesn't want to. Should I..._

"Mitch, I have a thought," she said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Could you do a...a nude?" she asked. "Of me?"

He paused, looking generally surprised. "I guess," he said. "If that's what you want?"

"It is," she said. Sitting up, Demona quickly removed her halter and loincloth, then tossed them aside as she lay back down, putting her arms and legs back in place. She did shift a little so that her limbs effectively concealed her private areas. "Is this satisfactory?" she asked.

Mitch had a hard time tearing his eyes away from her. "Uh...yeah, yeah," he stammered, which caused Demona to smile slightly. _I must have completely embarrassed him, _she thought merrily. She took a deep breath and settled down on the rug, letting Mitch begin his artistry.

He worked steadily, pausing only a few times to look up at her lying there in order to set the image in his mind, then commit it to paper. Demona remained still, not wanting to disturb him while he captured her image on paper with the charcoal pencil. After what seemed to be forever, which was in fact only a half an hour, he stopped, setting the sketch pad down.

"Finished already?" Demona asked.

"Yep," he said. "I think you'll be pleased." He paused for a second. "At least I hope so."

"Let me see it," she said as she sat up, drawing the bearskin around her as she saw him blush slightly. Mitch brought the sketch pad over and handed it to her.

She looked at the charcoal rendering with a critical eye, amazed at the detail he managed to capture. One thing she was surprised by was how soft the image was. _Where is the hardness? _she thought. _The severity? The coldness? Surely, he must have seen those qualities in me._

"Is it okay?" he asked.

Demona looked up at him. "Is this how you truly see me?" she asked.

"Yes, it is," Mitch said. "Why? Were you expecting something else?"

"I guess," Demona said. "It's just...I've led a pretty hard life up to now and...I guess I expected to see something a little...colder."

"Where?" he asked, kneeling down to look at her. "I can't seem to find it."

"Maybe you're not looking hard enough," she said.

"Maybe it's not there anymore," he countered. "Or maybe it was never there in the first place."

"It was there," Demona said. "Believe me, I know."

"Well, my wife always said I seemed to see the best in people," he said. "Maybe that's what it is."

"Your...wife," she stammered. "You're married?"

Mitch's face fell. "I was...once," he said. "Not any more."

"What happened?" Demona asked. She could see that it was a painful memory for him, but she needed to know what happened. _Did she leave him? _she wondered. _Or was it..._

"A convenience store hold-up," he said. "Six years ago. The bastard killed everyone..."

_She was murdered, _Demona realized. _No matter what, humans always manage to find some excuse to prey on one another... _She was brought out of her silent criticizing of all humanity as Mitch stood up and went over to the wall, taking down a picture of him and a beautiful young woman. "This is all I have left of her, really," he said. "This was taken at Niagara, where we honeymooned."

Demona looked at the picture. She could see from the way they were standing together the affection Mitch had for his lost wife. "I'm sorry," she said. "She was very lovely." She took a quick glance around the apartment. "You said this is all you have left of her?"

"Her parents took everything else," he said. "In a way, they blamed me for what happened. They said I should have been with her, instead of visiting my partner in the hospital."

"Your partner?" Demona asked. "You were a cop?"

"Yeah," he said. "I was one of the best. But after Caroline died, everything just started going downhill from there. My career, my life..." He paused. "I ended up losing my badge, all because of one bullet."

Demona stood up and walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't let the loss of someone you love consume you," she said. When he looked back at her, she could see the question in his eyes.

"How could you possibly..."

"Because I've been there myself," she said. "I lost my own mate a long time ago and I let myself become consumed by the guilt, thinking that if I had done things differently, then maybe I wouldn't have lost him. I was lost in the guilt for a long time."

"What changed that?" he asked.

"My daughter Angela," Demona said. "She opened up to me, trying to bring me back to some semblance of sanity. I admit that I've done a few...things...that have caused her to...distrust me."

"Like what?" he asked.

"It..." she started, but then paused. _I can't tell him about my past, _she thought._ I've revealed too much to him already_. "It's not important," she said. "Let's just say that I've done a few things in my past that I've begun to regret, and my daughter hates me for it."

"You should try working things out," Mitch said. "If you talk to her..."

"I have tried," Demona said. "But she doesn't want to have anything to do with me. And her father is just as stubborn..."

"Her father?" Mitch asked. "I thought you said you lost him..."

"I...did," she said, berating herself for the mistake. "I did some things...terrible things, and I ended up driving him away into the arms of another woman. A _human, _no less." She paused, looking at Mitch. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just, I've always had bad luck when it comes to humans. I guess I'm carrying a bit of a grudge."

"You think?" Mitch quipped. He put the picture back on the wall. "Well, with dirtbags like the Quarrymen around, I don't blame you. If I were in your shoes, I'd be a bit resentful of humans myself." He caught the offside look on Demona's face. "That is, if you wore shoes."

She almost told him that she did, when she herself transformed into a human during the day, but she stopped herself, not wanting to reveal that to him as well. _I've said too much as it is,_ she reminded herself. "Perhaps it is time I left," she said. "I want to thank you for the rendering."

"I should be thanking you," he said. "You are by far the most interesting subject I've ever had."

That made Demona blush slightly, and she turned to retrieve her garments.

"I wish that I could properly pay you," she said. "But we gargoyles don't have much use for money." It was a lie, of course. As Dominique Destine, she was worth millions. But she couldn't very well write him a check, not without revealing her secret. And she hadn't brought any cash with her.

"That's okay," he said. "I understand."

That seemed to dissatisfy her for some reason. He'd done the rendering of her, which was very good, by the way, and he had opened up to her. "No, it's not okay," she said. She looked down at her armband. It was solid gold, worth a small fortune, but it seemed inadequate for some reason. "If there were some way I could repay you. If not just for the rendering, but also for the fact that you saved my life..."

"Well, maybe there is something," he said.

"What?" she asked, wanting to fulfill his request.

"A kiss?" he asked.

That surprised her. _A kiss? _she thought. _That's all? That's what he wants? _"I'm sorry," she said. "But we gargoyles generally don't...kiss. It's a human custom..."

"I understand," he said. "I guess we can find some other way..."

"No," she said. "You asked for a kiss, and a kiss it shall be." She stepped up to him, looking up at him. "Mind you, I'm not very good at it," she said.

"I thought you said gargoyles don't..." he started, but then Demona lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. She intended it to be a quick kiss, but she lost her balance slightly and found herself falling forward. Mitch caught her as he felt her lose her balance and they ended up kissing longer than either had intended. When they finally parted, Demona had to suppress a moan as she felt him pull away. She'd actually enjoyed the fleeting contact. And she found herself wanting to repeat it.

"Well," Mitch said as he helped Demona regain her balance, but not her composure. "I guess we can consider this paid in full then," he said as he went to the chair and picked up his sketch pad, removing the charcoal rendering of her and placing it into a leather cover.

Demona watched as he did that, and found herself unable to tear her eyes off him. _It can't be happening, _she told herself. _You just can't be having these feelings for a human._ But she was, no matter how much she tried to deny it. Her first instinct was to run, to get away from him. _And where could I go? _she thought. _How can you escape the longing of your heart?_ Even before she knew she was doing it, she was moving towards him.

"Then perhaps," Demona said, stepping up to him and dropping the bearskin. "We can consider this an advance on your next project." She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a longer and even more passionate kiss.

Demona woke up before he did. She looked over at him and smiled. _I can't believe I've found happiness in the arms of a human, _she thought. _Who would have thought it possible? _She heard him murmur in his sleep and rolled over, his arm brushing against her and sending a sublime thrill through her.

She looked towards the window. Dawn was still a half-hour away, but she didn't want to be there when the transformation happened. _He still didn't know her secret, _Demona thought.He accepted her as a gargoyle and she wanted to keep it that way. She quickly dressed and headed towards the window. As she opened it, she looked back at Mitch's sleeping form and, giving in to impulse, she went back over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I'll be back later tonight, my..." She paused as she realized what she was about to say, and couldn't believe that she truly wanted to say it. "My love," she said, enjoying the sound of the words. _My love._ She smiled and headed out.

A pair of stealthy eyes watched her leave the apartment. Across the street, a lone figure lowered the pair of binoculars he was using to watch Demona's movements and removed a cell phone from his pocket, dialing a number.

"This is Banquo," he said when he heard his partner pick up. "I need you to get a message to Canmore." He paused as he followed Demona's silhouette across the early dawn sky. "He's gonna love this."

_To be continued..._


	2. Part Two

Redemption

Part Two

Written by Donald E. Fleming II

Story concept by Donald E. Fleming II

Disclaimer: All Gargoyles characters are the property of Disney and Buena Vista Studios and are being used without their consent or permission. Other original characters are the property of Donald E. Fleming II. I am receiving no reward for this story other than the satisfaction of being able to share it with others as it is intended solely for my own entertainment and the entertainment of Gargoyle fandom everywhere.

_Note: _This story takes place immediately following the season finale of 'Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles' (Angels In The Night).

Ryker's Island Penitentiary 

Jon Canmore sat in his cell, staring out the tiny barred window towards the city. And smiling. _As if they can stop the message by confining me to a cell, _he thought. _This is only a minor setback._

It had been over a month since his capture and arrest at the hands of the gargoyles and that traitorous witch Detective Maza. _I still can't believe that my own brother fell in love with that gargoyle-loving harlot. And to think that I was the one that tried to convince him that Goliath and his clan weren't the enemy. I was a fool to think..._

He stopped, pausing to take a deep cleansing breath through his nostrils, and let it out slowly. _That was another lifetime ago, _he thought. _Best not to dwell on the past and focus on the future. A future without **them.**_ His eyes drifted to the pictures on the wall. Pictures of Goliath and his clan. Detective Maza. Matt Bluestone. Xanatos..._I should have expected some interference from him, _Jon thought. _He's been harboring those monsters ever since the night of the Hunter's Moon. Well, he'll pay dearly for throwing his lot in with them._

"Sir," he heard a voice say. He turned and saw a guard standing outside the cell.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked.

The guard looked up and down the cellblock, then reached into his pocket. "A message, sir," he said quietly. "From Brother Banquo."

Jon smiled, then crossed the cell, quickly taking the proffered slip of paper from the guard. He quickly read over the message, then looked up at the guard, his only means of getting a message to his followers. "Is this correct?" he asked calmly, even though he was practically seething inside.

"I'm afraid so," the guard said. He looked down the block again, then unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out a manila envelope. "These are the details." He quickly buttoned his shirt back up, then turned to head down the corridor. "I shall be back in two hours," he said. "Will you have a message to send to the others?"

"I will," Jon said. He waited until the guard was walking down the cellblock before heading to his bunk and opening the envelope.

_So another has decided to turn his back on humanity, _he thought as he looked at the picture of Mitch Kreager, which he then set aside before reading the rather detailed report on him. _I should have expected it from any who would associate with that traitorous whore. _He went over the report, pausing once when he read the section on Demona's nighttime rendezvous with Mitch at his apartment. He was practically shaking with anger by the time he finished.

When the guard came back, Jon had a message ready for him. One word.

_Exodus._

Central Park 

_A week later..._

Demona lay on her belly, watching as Mitch dipped the strawberry into the melted chocolate and then held it out to her. She smiled as she reached forward and snagged the berry with her teeth, biting down and leaving him holding the stem.

"Mmm," she murmured as she swallowed the morsel. "You are spoiling me, my human," she said.

"Nothing but the best for you, my dear," he said. He picked another berry out of the bowl and dipped it in the chocolate.

_I could get used to this, _she thought, smiling. It had been over a month since Mitch saved her from the Quarrymen, and in that time, he had become the most important thing in her life. Mitch reached over and dangled the morsel in front of her, teasing her. She saw a drop of chocolate form on the underside and stuck out her tongue to catch it before snatching the berry out of his fingers with her teeth. He looked at his hand and counted the fingers.

"All accounted for," he joked.

"This time," Demona said. "You know better than to tease me like that."

"Couldn't resist," he said. "Besides, it's not easy with you lying on your stomach like that."

"Oh?" she said. "Then perhaps it would be better if I were like this." Demona rolled over onto her back and looked up at him as she put her hands behind her head. "Is this better?"

Mitch smiled as he looked down at her. "Much," he said as he lowered another berry towards her mouth. She lifted her head slightly to snag it with her teeth, but then he pulled it away and broke off the stem, then placed the strawberry in his own mouth. He held it between his own teeth as he lowered himself to her.

"Oh, you are rotten," she said. As he got nearer, Demona reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him down so she could take the exposed portion of the berry between her teeth. Their lips met as Demona bit the strawberry in half and pulled him back down with her.

They were like that for several minutes, Demona enjoying the mingled taste of strawberry, chocolate and him and she was totally oblivious to the sounds of wings on the air and then someone approaching them. It wasn't until she heard Angela gasp that she broke the kiss in surprise.

"Demona!" Angela said.

Startled, Demona and Mitch jumped away from each other, the gargoyle blushing brightly as she realized her halter was askew and she quickly pulled it back into place.

"Angela!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Angela looked at the picnic basket and the small feast that was laid out on the blanket. "I might ask you the same thing, Demona," she said. "What's going on? And who is this?"

Demona turned and looked at Mitch, as if seeing him for the first time. "This is...um, uh..."

"Mitch," he said, extending his hand. "Mitch Kreager."

Angela took his hand hesitantly.

"I take it you're Angela," he said.

"Yes," she said, looking at her mother. "What's going on, Demona?" she asked. "I thought..."

"Mitch saved my life several weeks ago," Demona said. "He's been helping me recover."

Angela arched her eyebrow in disbelief, sensing that her mother was lying, especially given what they were doing when she found them. _And she hated humans, _she thought. _What was going on?_

"What are you up to, Demona?" she asked.

"I'm not up to anything, Angela," she said. "I just..." She paused, then threaded her arm around Mitch's. "I've...fallen in love."

Angela almost snorted at that, but the way Demona rested her head against Mitch's shoulder caused her to pause. _Is it possible?_ she thought. "Demona..."

Mitch turned to Demona, looking at her tenderly. "I think that you and your daughter have a few things to discuss," he said. He then looked at Angela. "And I really think you should listen to her, give her a chance. She might just surprise you."

Angela waited until Demona stepped out of Mitch's arms and approached her daughter cautiously. "Angela, I know what you're going to say..."

"Do you?" Angela said harshly. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you try to..."

"Angela," she said quickly, interrupting her before Angela had a chance to finish. _I can't let him find out about that, _she said. "Will you...walk with me for a moment?" she asked.

Angela was suspicious, but she could see the anxiousness in her mother's eyes. "Okay," she said flatly. "But only for a moment."

Demona led Angela some distance away, making certain that Mitch was out of earshot before turning to Angela. "My daughter," she started. "I want you to know that I am sorry for what has happened between us."

"Are you?" Angela said. "You used me to get to Father and tricked me into luring the rest of the clan into a trap!"

"I know, Angela," Demona said. "And I wish that I could go back and change what happened. But I can't. I can only say that I'm sorry and try to win back your trust."

"I seriously doubt that's possible, Demona," Angela said, causing Demona to wince. "You haven't done anything to make me believe that you want to change. You didn't even try to help when I thought the rest of the clan had been destroyed."

"I tried to," Demona said. "Believe me, if I had known that you and Bronx were being taken out of the city that night, I would have faced Castaway and the Quarrymen on my own just to try to rescue you."

"But you didn't," Angela said. "You didn't even try to..."

"Then Detective Maza didn't tell you, did she?" Demona said.

"Tell me what?"

"She didn't tell you that I called her," Demona said. "I wanted to offer my sympathies for what I thought happened. I was even on my way to the castle to force Xanatos to tell me what happened when I was ambushed by the Quarrymen."

"Somehow, I doubt your sincerity," Angela said.

"It is true," Demona said. "You can even ask Mitch how we met. He'll tell you what happened that night."

"And I will," Angela said. "And I'll ask Elisa if you did try to call her. But that still doesn't change things between us, Demona. You lied to me, so I seriously doubt if you'll ever earn my trust again."

Demona stepped up to her and took Angela's hands in her own. Angela was about to pull away when she saw the hurt in her mother's eyes. "All I'm asking for is the chance to try, Angela," she said. "Please. You tried once to get me to change my ways. Can you honestly say that there's no small bit of hope for me left in your heart?"

"I...I can't," Angela said. "But, mother. You have to understand..." She stopped when she saw the edges of Demona's mouth quiver. "What is it?" she asked.

"You...called me 'mother'," she said as the first hint of tears appeared in her eyes. "You...haven't called me that in months," she said. "Not since that night..." She reached up and touched her daughter's cheek. "Angela..." she started.

Angela could see the warmth in her mother's eyes, something she had seen in Demona's eyes only once before. Before she knew what was happening, Demona had wrapped her arms around her daughter and Angela found herself returning the embrace.

23rd Precinct 

_The following night..._

Elisa pulled up in front of the station, pausing for a moment as she looked up at the rebuilt clock tower. _Nice to see the place back to normal, _she thought, even though deep down, she knew that it would never be the same. The guys weren't going to be roosting there anymore. And she wasn't going to be able to go up into the tower itself to visit them. The interior and the exterior of the tower had been completely redone, and the maintenance crews were the only ones who had the keys to the tower door now.

"I guess it doesn't really matter, does it," she found herself saying. The clan had a new home now, back at the castle, and she had to admit that it was about time. Still, she felt a little nostalgic whenever she looked up at the tower, remembering the good times she had spent with the clan up there...

_Waiting for the guys to wake up..._

_Reading detective novels with Broadway..._

_Trying desperately to beat Lex at some new video game she had bought for him..._

_The occasional dance with Brooklyn when he scored a new heavy metal CD, music which she never had the heart to tell him that she simply couldn't stand..._

_Listening to Hudson talk about the old days at Wyvern..._

_Scratching Bronx behind his ears, causing the great gar-beast unending pleasure..._

_The occasional woman-to-woman talk with Angela when the Trio got under her skin..._

_Quiet moments with Goliath..._

Of all the memories, it was those that she treasured the most. She loved Goliath with all her heart, and she simply couldn't imagine her life without him now. He was a friend, companion, confidante, lover... She shook her head, shaking off the momentary spell her thoughts had put her under. "I need to get to work," she said, heading up the stairs. She smiled at Morgan and his partner as she saw them heading out and made her way to her desk. She barely had time to sit down before she heard Captain Chavez's voice.

"Maza, I need to see you in my office," she said.

Elisa left her desk, then headed for the captain's office. She entered and noted the drawn look on Maria's face. "What is it, captain?" she asked.

Maria Chavez closed the door to her office, then sat down at her desk. She sighed heavily. "I wanted you to hear about this from me first, before anyone else had a chance to break the news." She paused for a second. "Jon Canmore escaped from Ryker's a few hours ago."

"What?" Elisa gasped. "How?"

"We're still trying to sort that out," Maria said. "Apparently, he had a guy on the inside, a guard that was ferrying messages back and forth for him to the rest of the Quarrymen. The guard's in custody, but he won't tell us where Canmore went."

"Great," Elisa said.

"There's something else," Maria said. She pulled out a manila folder and handed it to Elisa. Elisa opened it, and her eyes narrowed.

"Do you have any idea why he would be wanting to keep tabs on you, detective?" Maria asked.

Elisa looked through the pictures in the folder. There were pictures of her, the clan, Matt, Xanatos... "Where did these come from?" she asked.

"They were taped to the wall of Canmore's cell," Maria said. "I can understand why he'd have pictures of the gargoyles. He's tried to destroy them enough times as John Castaway." She waited until Elisa closed the folder. "And I can pretty much guess why Xanatos' picture is in there too, since he's rumored to be hiding them at the castle. But I'm still trying to figure out why he'd have pictures of you and Bluestone, detective."

"Well, Matt is part of the Gargoyle Task Force," Elisa said. "Maybe he wasn't satisfied with the way they handled things."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Maria said. "But it really doesn't matter, since there really hasn't been a need for the task force to become involved in any gargoyle-related incidents after Canmore's arrest. And it still doesn't answer why he'd be keeping an eye on you."

"Maybe he's holding a grudge," Elisa said, even though she knew it probably sounded weak. _I'm in love with Goliath, _she thought to herself. _To Jon, that's got to be the worst sin imaginable. _"I mean, I did bust him when he brought those anti-aircraft guns into the city and started shooting at the gargoyles. And I was on the train he tried to wreck. He's got to be pretty upset at that."

"I get the feeling there's more to it than that," Maria said. "But somehow, I doubt you'd tell me if there was." She sat back in her chair, watching her. "Detective, I want you to be careful tonight. Until he's located and returned to custody, Jon Canmore is a danger. He broke out of Ryker's for a reason. And I'd hate to have to be the one to tell Diane and Peter..."

"I understand, captain," Elisa said. "I'll keep an eye out for him. Have you told Matt about this?"

"A little while ago," Maria said. "I sent him over to Ryker's a little while ago, to see if Jon's brother Jason or his sister Robyn could give us any idea where he might have gone. I told him I'd send you to meet him after you got in."

"I'll head over there right now," Elisa said. She left the office, then grabbed her jacket off her chair as she headed out of the station house.

_But first, a little side trip, _she thought as she turned her car towards the Eyrie Building.

Castle Wyvern 

"Are you nuts?" Brooklyn snapped. "You can't possibly believe that Demona would ever..."

"I know it's hard to believe," Angela said. "But you didn't see her. She seemed really happy. I think that maybe..."

"This is Demona we're talking about," he said. "For all we know, she's cooked up another scheme..."

"That will be enough, Brooklyn," Goliath said. Brooklyn openly glared at him, but he wasn't about to press the issue just yet. Goliath turned his attention back to Angela. "Are you certain about what you saw?" he asked.

"Yes, father," she said. "At first I couldn't believe it and I thought the same thing Brooklyn did. But then I saw how Demona looked at him. I think that she really loves him."

"That'd be a new twist," Brooklyn snorted.

Angela ignored Brooklyn's comment. She turned her attention back to Goliath. "Mother said she tried to call Elisa on the morning Castaway tried to destroy the clan. Has she said anything to you about it?"

"Elisa did mention that Demona left a message on her answering machine," Goliath said. "But she did not tell me what the message was. We knew you did not wish to hear from her."

"But she did call," Angela said. "Maybe she is telling the truth after all."

"About what?" Elisa asked as she came out onto the castle wall.

"Elisa," Angela said. "Did my mother call you?"

"About a month ago," she said. "That night we arrested Castaway. Why? Has something else happened?"

"Something else?" Goliath asked. He could see the troubled look in her eyes. "What is wrong, Elisa?"

Elisa looked at him. "I'll tell you in a minute. What's this about Demona trying to get in touch with me?"

"I...saw Demona last night," she said. "We...talked, and she said she tried to reach you the night the Quarrymen attacked the train. That she left a message on your answering machine."

"She did," Elisa admitted. "But I erased it as soon as I found out it was from her. I knew you didn't want to talk to her."

"But she did call," Angela said. "She was telling the truth."

"I know you want to believe that, Angela," Elisa said. "But you can't trust anything that Demona says or does."

"Even if she says she's in love with a human?" Angela asked.

"Even if..." Elisa started, but then she stopped, stunned, as she realized exactly what Angela had said. "Wait a minute. Demona's...in love?"

"Apparently," Goliath said. "And if Angela is correct, with a human."

Elisa shook her head in disbelief. "It's gotta be a trick," she said. "You didn't happen to catch the guy's name, did you? Maybe I can talk some sense into him..."

"I think he said his name was Mitch," Angela said.

"Mitch?" Elisa gasped. "Not Mitch Kreager!"

"Yes, that's it," Angela said. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Yes, I do," Elisa said. She grabbed Goliath's arm and started to drag him towards the wall. "Come on, Goliath. I need a lift."

"Why?" Goliath asked. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is," Elisa said. "I'm not going to let Demona take advantage of one of my friends like this. Mitch has gone through enough pain in his life already without that witch adding to it!"

"But, Elisa..." Angela called out, trying to stop her, but Goliath and Elisa were already heading away from the castle.

Mitch's apartment 

Demona landed carefully on the roof, looking around furtively to make sure no one had seen her. For the past few days, she'd had the feeling that someone was watching her, keeping track of her movements. _Probably just nerves, _she thought, but she didn't want to take any chances, not where Mitch was concerned. She didn't want to risk losing him, not after everything that had happened in the last few weeks. Somehow, someway, she had found redemption. After her aborted attempt to kill Goliath, she was afraid she had lost Angela forever, but now she and her daughter were at least on speaking terms again, thanks to Mitch's gentle coaxing. She wondered what would happen if she were to tell Goliath about her human lover. _Given his relationship with Detective Maza, would he even care?_ She started across the roof, heading for the fire escape. _It didn't matter,_ she thought. _If he can have a relationship with a human, then why shouldn't I?_

The sound of wings above her drew her attention, and she looked up as Goliath descended towards her, Elisa cradled in his arms. Goliath landed on the roof and set her down, and Elisa quickly stalked over to Demona, glaring at her.

"What are you up to, Demona?" she demanded.

"It's none of your concern, detective," Demona responded.

"It is when it concerns my ex-partner," Elisa shot back.

_Ex-partner? _Demona thought. Then it dawned on her. _She's the partner Mitch was talking about. _"I'm not up to anything, detective," she said, mastering her shock. "Mitch and I have become lovers." She looked at Goliath, who had a very shocked look on his face. "I'd think you'd be relieved," she continued.

Elisa gave her a hard look. "Suspicious is more like it, Demona," she said. "Goliath told me what happened the last time you pretended to play nice. I won't have you toying with one of my friends like that!"

"I am not 'toying' with him, detective," Demona said flatly. "The truth is I've fallen in love with him. I find it hard to believe myself, but it is true. I love him, and I resent the notion that you think I'm using him to get to the rest of you."

"It would not be the first time, Demona," Goliath said.

"Perhaps," she said. "But I swear to you that the last time was indeed 'the last time'. I have no ulterior motives in this. I truly do care for him. Why can't you just accept that?"

"Because we know your history, Demona," Elisa snapped. "We know that..."

"What's going on?" they heard someone say. Demona turned and saw Mitch walking towards them from the fire escape. He paused when he caught sight of Elisa. "Hey, partner," he said. "Long time, no see."

"Hi, Mitch," Elisa said.

"What's going on, Demona?" he asked again. "Decided to invite some friends?"

"Demona and I aren't friends, Mitch," Elisa said. "In fact, she's hated me from the moment we met."

"I don't understand," Mitch said, looking at Demona. "Why..."

"There was a...misunderstanding," Demona said shyly.

"Misunderstanding?" Elisa gasped angrily. "You tried to kill Goliath! And me!"

Mitch looked at Demona. "Is that...true?" he asked.

Demona hung her head, afraid to look at him. "It...is," she said. "Mitch, I've told you that I've done some terrible things in my life..."

"That's putting it mildly," Elisa said coldly, crossing her arms across her chest as she waited for Demona's retort.

Demona surprised her by not lashing out at her. "Detective, I am truly sorry for what I did to you in the past. It was wrong, and I know that nothing I say to you can ever make up for the misery I put you through." She turned her attention to Goliath. "Goliath..." she started.

"I am forced to wonder if you are being earnest, Demona," he said. "After all that you have done, not only to myself and Elisa, but also the clan itself, you will understand if I look on this 'reform' of yours with a note of skepticism."

"I wouldn't blame you," Demona said. "What I did was unforgivable. All I'm asking for is a chance to make amends."

"You can't possibly expect us to forget the past, Demona," Elisa snapped.

"Detective..." Demona started, but then Mitch put his hand on her shoulder.

"Elisa," he said. "I don't know what Demona's done in the past, but you know as well as I do that we all make mistakes."

"Mitch..." Elisa started, but he continued before she had a chance to speak.

"Now I admit that finding out she tried to kill you is a bit of a shock," he said. "But she's admitted that it was a mistake, and she's said she was sorry. Can't you just leave it at that?"

"Mitch, you don't know her like we do," Elisa said. "What she's done..."

"Whatever it is, she's trying to make up for it," Mitch said. "We've all done things we regret doing later, Elisa. Remember?"

"This is different, Mitch," Elisa said.

"Is it?" he asked. "Can you honestly tell me that whatever she's done, it's no different than what I did?"

"Mitch, you don't understand..." Elisa started, but then Goliath placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Perhaps he does," he said.

Elisa looked up at Goliath, the shock clear in her eyes. "Goliath..." she started.

"Elisa," he said. "You and I both know the power of love. How it transcends all barriers and heals all wounds." He looked over at Demona. "It is possible that by falling in love with Mitch, Demona has begun her own healing process."

"You can't possibly think..." Elisa started, even as Demona began speaking.

"I have," she said. "Detective, I know that for what I did in the past, I should be locked away for the rest of eternity, and if necessary, I'll submit myself to your justice system in order to make amends. All I'm asking for is a chance to at least try."

Elisa gave Demona a hard look. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't arrest Demona, at least not yet. She had to meet Matt at Ryker's. And she was beginning to think that Mitch might just be right.

"All right," she said. "Maybe I'm crazy for doing this, but I'll give you that chance, Demona." She paused as she closed the distance between herself and the gargess. "But if you hurt him, Demona, I swear to God that nothing's going to keep me from beating you to a bloody pulp. You got that?"

"Elisa!" Mitch said, shocked.

"No," Demona said to him. "I deserve that. Detective," she said, turning her attention to Elisa. "I swear to you that I won't hurt him. If I do, I will gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

"You're damned right you will," Elisa said. She stepped away from Demona and looked at her one-time partner. "Mitch..." she started.

"Don't," he said quickly. "Whatever she's done, Elisa, I want to hear it from her, not you. You owe me that much at least." He set his hands on Demona's shoulders. "And I think it'd be a good idea if you left us alone for a while, until we have a chance to sort this all out." He paused for a second as he began leading Demona towards the fire escape. "It was...good to see you again," he said, looking over his shoulder at her. "Partner."

Elisa allowed herself a slight smile, even as she fought the urge to go over and beat the living daylights out of Demona. "Same here, partner," she said. "Just watch yourself, Mitch," she added. "I'd hate to lose another friend."

"Likewise," he said as he and Demona left the roof.

Elisa let out a long sigh, then turned towards Goliath. "I'm still not too sure about this, Goliath. What if Brooklyn's right, and she..."

"I know that you are concerned for your friend's well-being, Elisa," Goliath said. "But it is his decision, and we must abide by it. It is entirely possible that Demona truly is trying to put the past behind her and start anew. Is it not a part of your justice system the possibility of reforming those who have committed crimes in the past?"

"Yes, but..." Elisa started, but she already knew that it would be a losing argument. Reform was part of the system, even though she felt that there were those who simply did not deserve it, but she had felt that way about Xanatos and Fox once, and now they were on friendly terms with the clan. _And if Demona truly did want to change... _"Okay," she said. "Maybe she does deserve a chance, but that'll never change the way I feel about her. I don't trust her, and I doubt that anything's ever going to change that." She turned and looked out across the city in the direction of the Eyrie Building. "C'mon, Goliath. I need a lift back to the castle. There's something I need to tell you guys."

"Very well, Elisa," he said. He lifted her in his arms and leapt from the rooftop, leaving Mitch and Demona to watch their departure from the fire escape landing outside his apartment...

...And three others from the rooftop of the building across the street.

Jon Canmore lowered his binoculars as he watched Goliath and Elisa head off across the night sky.

"Do you want us to follow those two?" Banquo asked, fingering the trigger of his blaster. His partner Fleance was already sighting her rifle on Goliath.

"No," Jon said. "Our first priority is the Demon herself, and her treasonous consort. We will deal with Goliath and that wretched Detective Maza later." He pulled out the Hunter's mask, donning it. "For now, I need the two of you to remain here, in case they should happen to return."

"Right," Fleance said.

Jon smiled behind the mask and activated his jetpack, heading for Mitch's apartment.

Demona stepped into Mitch's apartment, wrapping her arms around herself as she waited for Mitch to close the window. She was nervous; she had hoped to put off telling him about her past for some time, years perhaps, but now the issue had been brought up sooner than she had expected.

"So," she heard him say. "I guess you have a lot to tell me."

"Yes, I do," she said quietly, unable to turn around and face him. _After what I tell him, will he still love me? _she wondered. _Will I even deserve his love? _She took a deep breath and turned to face him. "I guess...I should start," she said. "But I'm not sure where to begin."

"How about at the beginning?" Mitch said. "Maybe if you told me what really happened between you and Goliath, we can at least begin to see why you did...what you did."

Demona did note that Mitch was keeping his distance from her, staying by the window. _Was it because he wants to give me some space? _she wondered. _Or is it because he's unsure of me now? _That thought upset her. She didn't want Mitch to be afraid of her, but she knew that it probably couldn't be helped. She'd been hiding a lot from him, and now that Elisa had brought out some of it, she knew that she couldn't hide her past from him any longer. She crossed over to the couch and sat down, looking at Mitch as he took a few hesitant steps towards her.

"I guess we should start with..." she started, but she never got a chance to finish, because at that moment, the wall of the apartment exploded, sending them both sprawling to the floor.

Demona looked up as the Hunter Jon Canmore stepped through the gaping hole in the wall. "Now I have you, Demon," he said. "And I'm going to make you pay for what you've done!"

Goliath looked at the drawn expression on Elisa's face. He could tell that something else was bothering her, and had been since she arrived at the castle. "Elisa, what is wrong?" he asked.

Elisa sighed, then looked up at his concerned face. "I guess I should have told you before I asked you to take me over to Mitch's," she said. "I got a little bad news earlier. Jon...escaped from Ryker's a few hours ago."

"What?" Goliath gasped. "Elisa, are you certain?"

"Yeah," she said. "That's probably the reason why I was so on edge about Demona. Jon's tried to kill you guys so many times, and part of the reason why is all her fault..."

"You should not place the blame solely on Demona's shoulders," Goliath said. "The Canmore family has continuously hunted her throughout the millenium in order to destroy her, yet she was not the one who began the feud with them."

"According to her," Elisa said. "And it's possible she wasn't telling you the truth about that."

"It is possible," Goliath said. "But from what Macbeth has told us about his own experience with the Canmores, I am inclined to believe her version of events."

Elisa sighed heavily. "She's right about one thing, Goliath. You are naive."

This drew a startled look from him, which was followed by a rather annoyed grumble. "I might remind you that at present we are several hundred feet in the air," he said to her.

"I'm sorry," Elisa said. "I shouldn't have said that. It's just...I've got this big chip on my shoulder when it comes to Demona."

"Which seems to be equally balanced by the chip on your other shoulder in regards to Xanatos," he said.

That drew a slight smile from Elisa. "I guess what you're saying is that if Xanatos can change, so can Demona."

"Stranger things have been known to happen, my Elisa," he said.

"I guess," she said. "I only hope that...

An explosion split the quiet night sky.

"Goliath!" Elisa called out as he turned in mid-air, trying to locate the source of the explosion. He saw a plume of smoke rising and realized where it was coming from.

"That came from Mitch's apartment!" he heard her say.

Holding Elisa tight, Goliath headed back the way he came, hoping he wasn't too late.

Demona got up and charged the Hunter, but Jon brought up a gun and shot her. The bullet tore through her shoulder and threw her back. She crashed through the glass coffee table, shattering it.

"You killed my father," he said, advancing on her. "Your leader crippled my brother. And you tried to wipe out humanity with that virus. And now you think that just because you have fallen in love with one of us that you can be forgiven? That it makes up for your centuries of evil? I don't think so." He put his foot on her chest and pressed down, driving the shards of glass under her into her back. She cried out in pain. "Tonight it finally ends, Demon," he said. Smiling, he pointed the gun at her face.

"No!" Mitch cried out. He tackled Jon, knocking him away from Demona and causing him to drop the gun.

"Traitor!" Jon yelled, throwing a punch. Mitch ducked under it and connected with a punch of his own to the kidneys.

Jon staggered back, but didn't go down. "You side with one of them over your own race? They're beasts! They're animals!"

"You're the only animal here!" Mitch shot back. "And if you think I'm going to let you hurt her, you're nuts!"

"You're the one who's insane," Jon snapped. "Don't you know who she is, what she's done? Has she told you about all the lives she's taken and destroyed?"

"You think I'd listen to some psychopath whose only goal in life is wrecking peoples lives in the name of some sick crusade?" Mitch fired back. "If anyone's taken any lives around here, it's you!" He charged the younger Canmore.

Jon ducked out of the way, moving to recover his fallen gun. He picked it up just as Mitch turned and tackled him.

Goliath caught sight of movement on the roof.

"Elisa..." he said.

"I see 'em," she said, pulling out her gun.

Goliath swept back his wings and dived for the roof, hoping to startle the two figures he had spotted. He barreled into them, using his shoulder to knock them off their feet while protecting Elisa at the same time with his body. The two mercenaries were knocked aside, but quickly began to regain their feet.

"I shall deal with these two," he said quickly. "You go check on your friend."

"Right," Elisa said. She quickly bolted across the roof, heading for the fire escape as Goliath turned his attention to both Banquo and Fleance. They both looked at each other before charging the lavender giant, hoping that they could take him down as a team.

They were unconscious even before they hit the ground.

Demona tried to rise as she saw the two rolling on the floor, each one trying to get the upper hand. She wanted desperately to help her lover; Mitch was no match for Canmore, not when the Hunter was as insane as he was now. She rolled onto her stomach, wincing in pain as she felt more glass from the shattered coffee table dig into her flesh. She paused as she reach around to pull a large shard out of her side, gasping as she pulled it free.

Mitch looked in her direction when he heard her gasp and saw her press her hand to her side, fresh blood oozing from between her fingers. Jon used the distraction to shift the struggle in his favor and, before Mitch could stop him, Jon had the gun between them and squeezed the trigger.

A blossom of red exploded from Mitch's back, and he sagged heavily against the Hunter.

"No!" Demona cried out as she saw her lover go limp in Canmore's arms. He pushed the dead weight away from him and turned his attention back to Demona.

"One more death on your hands, Demon," he snarled at her. "One more life lost because of you and your kind. And I promise you, it will not be the last." He slowly raised the gun and pointed it at Demona's head.

"Canmore!" a voice called out. He turned to see Elisa leaping into the apartment through the hole in the wall.

"You!" he cursed.

"Drop the weapon, Jon," she said. "Don't make me have to put you down."

"You're just as much to blame as she is," he said. "It's your fault my brother is crippled, and my sister is in prison!" He started to turn his weapon on her. "You're all to blame!"

"Don't do it, Jon!" she warned. "Don't make me..."

Jon brought the gun around and aimed it directly at her. Elisa didn't have a choice. Her finger automatically tightened on the trigger.

Jon Canmore went down, a hole in his chest directly over his heart.

Elisa ran to Demona's side as she pulled Mitch's limp body into her arms.

"Mitch?" Demona said, tears streaming from her eyes, both from the pain and the fear that she was going to lose him. "Mitch, talk to me. Say something."

Elisa put her hand to his throat, searching for a pulse. She found it, but it was very weak. She turned as she heard someone enter the apartment.

"Call an ambulance," she barked. "Quick!"

The old woman who came in hesitated for a moment as she saw the female gargoyle cradling Mitch in her arms, sobbing hysterically. But Elisa's words were enough to send her into action. She rushed across the hall to call for an ambulance while Goliath entered through the hole in the wall and stepped over to the body of Jon Canmore to check on his condition.

"Mitch, please," Demona continued to cry. "You can't leave me."

"De…Demona," he gasped, finally opening his eyes.

Her eyes opened at the sound of his voice and she smiled, encouraged by it. "I'm here," she said and kissed him on the forehead. "Lie still. Help is on the way." She looked up at Elisa, who nodded in ascension.

"Doesn't...matter," he gasped. "Just...wanna know...one thing, 'fore I go."

"What?" she asked.

"What he said, and Elisa," he asked. "Was it...true?"

Demona felt herself going cold. She couldn't tell him the truth now. The last thing she wanted was for him to die hating her. But she also didn't want to lie to him, not anymore. "Mitch, I'm sorry, but it..." She hesitated as she looked at Elisa, who was trying desperately to staunch the flow of blood. "It's true," she said finally. "It's all true. Mitch, I've done so many terrible things in my life..."

Mitch brought his hand up and rested it against her cheek. "Doesn't...matter," he said. "Just...knowing that you...told me the truth is enough."

"I just didn't want you to hate me," she said, crying as she covered his hand with her own.

"Could...never hate you," Mitch said. "Not...now, not ev..."

"Mitch? Mitch!" Demona cried out urgently as she felt him shudder in her arms, then go limp. She began to cry uncontrollably, then tossed her head back and let out a soul-splitting scream that Goliath and Elisa understood all too well. It was the sound of someone's heart being torn apart.

Castle Wyvern 

Elisa entered the media room and Goliath could tell by her expression that she didn't have good news.

"Is he…" he asked.

Elisa looked over at Demona, who was seated next to Angela. Goliath had brought the grieving gargess to the castle when police began to converge on the apartment, and Elisa had asked him to get Demona out of there for her own sake. When they got to the castle, the rest of the clan was dead set against giving her comfort, apart from Angela, who knew how much her mother loved Mitch. The younger gargoyle put her arm around her mother's shoulders, waiting for the news.

"I'm sorry, Demona," Elisa said. "The doctors did everything they could, but there was just too much damage."

"Nooo," Demona moaned, her shoulders shaking as she began crying again. Angela quickly wrapped her arms around her mother and pulled her close, letting Demona cry on her shoulder.

"If it's any consolation," Elisa said, hoping to spare Demona some of her grief. "John Castaway or Canmore or whatever he was calling himself, he was pronounced dead at the scene. He won't be bothering us ever again."

Demona looked at Elisa. The news of Canmore's death was of little consolation, but at least she was satisfied that Mitch's killer had paid for what he had done. It still didn't change the fact that someone who loved her had been taken from her.

"Demona," Goliath said, walking over to the grieving gargess. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I am deeply sorry for your loss," he said as he knelt down and took her hands in his. "If you wish, you may remain here..."

"Are you out of your mind?" Brooklyn said.

Goliath stood up quickly, glowering at his second-in-command. "Brooklyn, that will be quite enough."

"C'mon," Brooklyn said. "You can't possibly believe for one second that Demona actually fell in love..."

"I said ENOUGH!" Goliath shouted. Leaving Demona, he stalked over to the brick-red gargoyle. "As long as I am clan leader, I will make the decisions. And it is our responsibility to give aid and support to those in need." He paused as he looked back at Demona. "No matter who it may be."

"You can't be serious," Brooklyn protested. "I can see it if it were Macbeth or Xanatos. But this is Demona we're talking about. Remember what she did a few months ago?"

"I have not forgotten," Goliath said. "And that is why it is important that we be here for her now." He paused as he saw Angela with her arm around her mother's shoulders, holding her as Demona cried openly. "If we drive her away now, in her time of need, then we lose all hope of ever redeeming her."

"She doesn't need redemption," Brooklyn said bitterly. "What she needs is a good swift kick in the..."

"Brooklyn!" Angela gasped. "Please!"

"No," Demona said. "He is right." She pulled herself out of Angela's arms and stood up. "I have no right to be here. Each of you has good reason to hate me..."

"Mother, please," Angela said. "You shouldn't be alone. Not now..."

"I've been alone for a great many years, Angela," she said. "What's one more day, more or less?"

"No," Goliath said. He went over to her and placed his hands on her arms. "Angela is right, Demona. You should not be alone. You have suffered the loss of a loved one, and you need the support of your clan in your time of grief."

"Are...are you serious?" Demona asked, looking up at him. "You said that I would never be allowed back into the clan..."

"We cannot turn our back on you, Demona," Goliath said. "Not when you are in need of comfort after suffering so great a loss..."

"Humph," Brooklyn snorted, still not willing to trust her. When Goliath cast a disapproving eye towards him, the brick-red gargoyle glared at Demona. "I think there's something you're forgetting, Goliath," he said. "The sun's going to be up soon. Who's going to 'comfort' her after we turn to stone?"

"I'll watch her," Elisa said. She walked over to Goliath and Demona and gently placed her hand on the azure gargess' shoulder. "Mitch may have been her lover, but he was my friend, too." She paused as she looked at Demona. "It'll probably lessen the pain knowing that someone else is going to be grieving for him alongside her."

Demona was surprised by this. "You...you would do that?" she asked. "For me?"

"Like I said, Demona," Elisa said. "Mitch was my friend. And in a way, I think he'd want us to be there for each other." She looked over at Brooklyn. "If it'll make you feel any better, Brooklyn, I can have Xanatos lock her up in one of the old castle dungeons."

"That won't be necessary," Demona said. "I swear to you that I won't try to smash you during the day."

"You'll excuse me if I don't jump for joy at hearing that," Brooklyn said. "Just be sure to keep her away from me," he added as he left the room.

_23rd Precinct_

_Two days later..._

Captain Chavez looked up as Elisa walked into her office. 

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Captain?" she asked.

"Sure, detective," she said. "What do you need?"

"I heard you were making arrangements for Mitch's funeral," she said. "I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."

"Name it," Maria said.

"I was wondering if you could arrange it so that the service is held at night," Elisa said.

"Why?" she asked.

"I guess by now you know about the gargoyles," Elisa said. "Mitch was close to one of them. Her name is Demona."

"How close?" Maria asked, wondering.

Elisa sighed, realizing that she had to tell her. "They were..." She paused, looking at the captain. "They were real close."

Maria's eyes went wide when she made the connection. "They were lovers?" she gasped.

"Yeah," Elisa said. "I know it sounds weird, captain. But it's true. Demona and Mitch were lovers, and she's been devastated by his loss. He died in her arms, and I really think that this'll help her work through the pain."

Maria sat back, considering the detective's request. It was unusual, but she could see the need for it. She remembered Caroline's funeral, and how the entire precinct had turned out to lay Mitch's wife to rest and to give him the support he needed to get through her loss.

"I'll see what I can do, detective," she said.

Mourning Hills Cemetery One week later 

Elisa stood by Demona's side as the minister concluded the service. Captain Chavez had arranged an evening service so that the gargoyles could attend, and they had come, but they stood off to the side, out of respect for Demona, who watched as her lover was laid to rest.

"And so we say farewell to Mitchell Kreager," the minister said. "Friend, partner, husband." He paused as he looked at Demona. "And lover. He will be sorely missed by one and all."

"He will," Demona said quietly, feeling fresh tears run down her cheeks.

Elisa looked over her shoulder towards the rest of the clan. She knew that Goliath was uncomfortable about her proximity to Demona, but she had assured him that it was necessary. Demona needed a friend right now, even if it was someone she had tried to kill on more than one occasion.

As the service ended, Elisa stepped over to Demona as the assembled police officers began to move off and gently placed her hand on the gargess' shoulder. She noted the sketchpad Demona held tightly against her chest, as if she were afraid of losing it. She knew what it represented. It was all Demona had left of him.

Goliath took a step towards the pair, but paused as Captain Chavez walked up to him.

"You're Goliath, aren't you?" she asked him.

"I am," he said.

"Elisa told me about you guys," she said. She paused as she turned to look at the detective and Demona. "Finally."

Goliath grimaced slightly at that. "Do not blame Elisa for keeping this from you, Captain Chavez," he said. "In light of what has happened since we first awoke in this new land..."

"Don't worry, I understand perfectly," she said. "And please, call me Maria." She looked up at the lavender male. "It's just that I wish she had told me about you guys a lot sooner. Especially after what happened to the clock tower." She paused for a moment. "Why were you there anyway?"

"We needed a place to sleep during the day after we were forced out of our home by Xanatos," he said. "And somehow, it seemed fitting."

"I guess," Maria said. She looked back at Demona. "Is there anything more we can do for her?" she asked. "I know that in some cultures, they hold a special service for the bereaved..."

"We have a tradition," Goliath said. "A Remembrance ceremony, where we honor the memory of the deceased." He paused as he looked at Maria. "We would be honored if you would attend."

"Me?" Maria gasped. "Why..."

"Mitch was...a part of your clan," Goliath said. "A police officer, and from what Elisa has told me, he was well liked by those who worked with him."

"He was," Maria said. "He was one of the best cops I ever knew." She looked up at Goliath. "But he was forced to turn in his badge after...what happened..."

"Elisa has explained to us what happened," Hudson said. "The lad may have made a mistake, but it doesna' change the fact that in his heart, he was still one of ye. A protector, and he gave his life protecting the life of someone he cared for."

Maria smiled slightly at that, knowing that Hudson had touched on that one part that defined a good cop, and Mitch in particular. He cared. "I think..." she started. "I will attend. I owe it to Mitch's memory." She looked over to where Elisa and Demona stood by Mitch's casket. "And I think he would've been touched by the gesture." Together, they waited for Elisa and Demona to say their final farewells to Mitch.

Demona knelt by the casket, using her talon to scratch a small symbol into the wood. "You gave me so much," she said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I only wish we'd had more time together. I only wish I'd been able to tell you sooner what I was before we met, so you could see how much you've changed my life."

"I think he knew, Demona," Elisa said. "I think he knew that he changed your life the day the two of you met."

Demona looked up at her. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Mitch understood better than anyone that every action causes change," Elisa said. "If he and I hadn't been partners, then everything that happened in our lives would have been different. Caroline might still be alive, I might never have become a detective and you might never have met Angela. Everything we do has its consequences, Demona. It's only a matter of making sure the decisions we make are the right ones."

"And I seem to have a habit of making the wrong ones," Demona said.

"From where I'm standing," Elisa said. "Maybe you've actually started making the right ones for a change."

"I hope so," Demona said. She looked down at the sketchpad in her hands. "I only wish..." she started, then paused. "I understand how he must have felt, when he lost his wife."

"What do you mean?" Elisa asked.

"He told me about Caroline," Demona said. "He showed me a picture of her once. He said it was all he had left of her." She looked down at the pad. "This is all I have left of him now. I only wish I had something more. Something more tangible than just these few pieces of paper. One small piece of him that I can show to the world and say that this is a product of our love."

"I know," Elisa said. She bent down and put her hands on Demona's shoulders. "Come on," she said. "It's time we were going." She helped Demona to her feet and led her to where the clan stood waiting for them.

Several yards away, a lone woman stood in the shadow of a tree, taking in the scene before her. She smiled as Demona's words sounded in her ears.

"Perhaps that is something that can be arranged," Titania said as she raised her hand towards them.

_Six months later..._

Demona squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. She bore down as the doctor said, "Push!"

It had come as a surprise to everyone that she was pregnant, even more that she had managed to carry the child to term. She was afraid that her daily changes from gargoyle-to-human-to-gargoyle would cause her to miscarry, but incredibly that hadn't happened.

"And breathe," the doctor said.

Demona panted as her muscles relaxed. _Giving birth to Angela wasn't nearly this difficult, _she thought.

"Just a little more, Demona," she heard Elisa say. She looked up and gave the detective's hand a squeeze. _It was hard to believe that once upon a time we were enemies, _she thought. _And now she's here at my side, helping me._

"And push," the doctor said.

Demona bore down again.

"I see the head," he said. "And breathe."

Demona collapsed and began panting again. _That was to be expected, _she thought. Mitch had been human, but when the ultrasound had revealed the lack of a shell forming around her child, it had initially taken her by surprise. In a way, it made her even happier. _At least, I won't have to wait ten years to hold him._

"We're almost there," the doctor said. "And...push!"

Demona bore down again.

"You can do it, Demona," Elisa said.

"I've got the head," the doctor said. "Another push."

Demona felt his hand slip inside her as he felt around for the wings. He found them and slowly eased the tips out of the birth canal.

"Come on, Demona," Elisa said urgently. "One more big push and it's over."

Demona bore down one final time and felt her child slip out of her. She collapsed back on the table in exhaustion.

For a moment, there was no sound and that worried her. "Why isn't..." she started, but then her words were cut off by the plaintive wail of the infant.

"It's a boy," the doctor said.

"A boy?" she asked, tears of joy streaming from her eyes.

"Yep," he said. "And from the sound of him, he's got a healthy set of lungs." He clamped and cut the umbilical cord and then handed the infant to Elisa, who took the child to a warm bassinet to clean him off. "Oh, Demona," Elisa said. "He's gorgeous."

"Let me see him," she said.

Elisa swaddled the child up and brought him over.

Demona marveled at the tiny bundle as Elisa carefully placed him in her arms. He had her azure-blue coloring, but his hair was dark, which promised to turn almost coal-black when it filled out. She could feel the nub of his tail through the swaddling clothes and she was tempted to expose the feet to see how many toes he had.

"Six toes," Elisa said, sensing her thoughts. "Three on each foot." Demona looked up at her former adversary and smiled. Then she extended her talon towards the child and the little gargoyle infant grasped it with five chubby little fingers.

"He has his father's hands," she said.

Elisa looked up as the door to the delivery room opened and Angela and Goliath entered. "May we come in?" Angela asked.

Demona looked over at her and smiled. "Come in, Angela," she said. "Come and say hello to your new brother."

Angela carefully walked over and looked at the child. Tears formed in her eyes as she gazed at him. "Oh, mother," she said. "He's perfect." She turned and looked at Goliath. "Come and see, father."

Goliath hesitated, not sure if Demona even would allow him to look at her son. Despite Demona's apparent reform following Mitch's death, he was still unsure about her intentions. But the smiles from both Demona and Elisa changed his mind. He walked over and looked at the child.

"You are right, Elisa," he said. "The child is beautiful." _I wonder if our own children would look like this, _he wondered. He carefully laid his hand on the child's head and stroked it softly. "Welcome to the world, young one," he said.

"Goliath," Demona said. "I would ask a favor of you."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I...I want him to be raised as part of the clan," she said. "Mitch would have wanted that."

Goliath considered her request. "You wish to give up this child?"

"No," Demona said. "I'm asking..." She hesitated, afraid of what his response would be. "I'm asking to be allowed back into the clan."

"Demona..." Goliath started.

"Goliath, I know I've made some terrible mistakes in my life," Demona said. "The pain I've caused, the betrayals." She looked at Angela and quickly cast her eyes down, feeling fresh tears starting to well up. "I know you have every reason not to trust me. And I'm not asking you to forget what I've done. Just to forgive. Please." She looked down at her newborn son. "For his sake."

Goliath looked to Elisa, who was standing closer to Demona than he thought would have been possible without Demona trying to kill her. _If Demona was willing to put aside her hatred of Elisa, then perhaps there was hope for her after all._ He looked down at the child.

"What are you going to name him?" he asked.

Demona thought it over for a minute. "Mitchell Kreager Destine," she said. "After his father."

Goliath gently laid his hand on the infant's head again. "Welcome, Mitchell Kreager," he said. "To your new clan."

A new day dawned for the gargoyles.

The End


End file.
